Pregnancy Massage
You may think of massage as a luxury to indulge in on occasion. But one of the most beneficial times for massage may be during pregnancy.
Pregnancy massage is a term for any hands-on massage during or after pregnancy (prenatal or postnatal massage).
A pregnancy massage typically lasts an hour. Some practitioners use pillows as bolsters to position a woman comfortably on their side. This helps especially during the later stages of pregnancy. Lying on your side is often the most comfortable position.
60 Min
$85
Possible Benefits of Pregnancy Massage
Only a handful of small studies have focused on massage in pregnancy. No definite benefits have been established. But one study in the USA suggests that massage therapy might have multiple positive effects, including:
- Lowered anxiety
- Decreased back and leg pain
- Improved sleep
- Decreased levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine
- Increased levels of the “feel-good” hormones serotonin and dopamine
- Decreased levels of cortisol, an indicator of stress
- An overall improvement in mood